Allegations fly over Brisbane university election

Student politics at the University of Queensland has descended into a fracas over party name registrations, with claims the incumbent Young Liberal councillors had barred the opposition from contesting the upcoming election under its own banner.

Up to 25 candidates for the left-aligned Pulse group have withdrawn their nominations for the UQ Union after being informed the ticket name "Pulse" had already been reserved by other candidates, effectively disqualifying them from the election one week before polling.

Pulse claims the incumbent right-aligned group "Fresh", led by UQU president Colin Finke, secretly changed election regulations on August 10, effectively making the poll a one-horse race.

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Previously, ticket names were safeguarded for up to a decade and groups needed the signatures of 10 former candidates to register their party name.

The changes meant Fresh councillors were able to reserve a number of ticket names, including those of their opposition, Pulse alleged.

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Fresh, which has held the student union since 2008, is largely considered a vehicle for the Young Liberals, while the Pulse ticket comprised the campus's Labor left, Labor right and Socialist Alternative, as well as a handful of independents.

Pulse's Rachel Paterson, who withdrew her nomination for the union administrative council yesterday, said Pulse candidates were left with no option but to either change their party name at the eleventh hour, or run below the line on ballot papers as independents.

"On Friday afternoon [August 17], our campaign manager received a call saying the ticket Pulse had been disqualified on the basis that it was a pre-existing name," Ms Paterson said.

"They gave us the option of changing the name we were registered under, which would in effect give us two days to plan a brand new campaign that would normally take four weeks."

A week of formal campaigning began on campus yesterday, with polling scheduled to open next Monday.

"We cannot support this illegitimate process," Ms Paterson said.

"Last year around 12,000 votes were passed, and only 50 were below the line."

UQ Union president Colin Finke denied the accusations yesterday. He refused to speak to brisbanetimes.com.au, instead directing a secretary to tell this website he would only answer questions via email.

"These accusations are completely incorrect," Mr Finke said in a written statement.

"My understanding is that the returning officer [gym manager Alexa Faros-Dowling], an independent officer overseeing the UQ Union elections, has informed students that there are a number of registered parties running in the union elections.

"This attack appears to be no more than petty student politicking."

However, spokeswoman for Democracy 4 UQU and former Pulse candidate for treasurer Lorelei Lowndes-Links said the changes made by Fresh were "all too much of a coincidence".

"We only want to participate in a free and fair election, and win or lose democratically," she said.

Fresh has also been accused of misusing student funds for electioneering at the July UQU Day, where t-shirts and other merchandise bearing the group's logo were distributed free of charge. Students wearing the Fresh t-shirts were entitled to discounts at various union outlets around the St Lucia campus.

Mr Finke said allegations of misusing funds were "completely unfounded".